Life Or Death

Devoid

Archie Rawlings was the first one to get up at the crack of the dawn. He was an early riser who got up for a run around West End, he used to be an athlete until officials told him that he was too short to compete. Oh, well.

Not this time, he did not go out for a run but he could swear that he heard a squeak coming from May's room during the night while he was sleeping. Archie was a light sleeper so every slight noise woke him up. Knowing Harvey had his morals about women especially May, Archie trod upon eggshells as he went near May's room. It sounded dangerously quiet and Archie began to get suspicious so he quietly opened the door.

"May? It's Archie. I'm checkin' to see if you're alright." Archie called out in his voice to see if May was somewhere in the room but no response so he tried again.

"May?"

"May?"

There was foreboding silence, Archie was the only person in the bedroom. He began to panic so he decided to go searching for her.

May was gone. Her bed was dishivelled, a sign that she was in the bed. Her clothes that she had worn the previous day were on the lounge chair that was in the room.

Archie ran to check the bathroom, she wasn't there. He even checked every crevice of the room, she wasn't there. Fuck, how was he going to tell Max that May disappeared until he realised that a rope was present in the corner of his eye. It was hanging off the balcony, it was when Archie realised that someone had taken the person that Max had sworn to protect. He began to think of the people who would take May but none of them stood out except one. The Grim Reaper.

Oh, Mad Max is not going to be too pleased when Archie tells him that The Grim Reaper had gotten off with May Hart in tow. Archie could imagine Mad Max declaring holy war on The Grim Reaper and his miscreants, he would fucking brand the bastard if he laid his murdering hands on May. Archie became angry at the thought of Duncan Hancock going near his childhood friend, May Hart did not deserve what was coming for her. She was truly innocent, caught in the crossfire of The Grim Reaper and Mad Max.

Archie sprinted to Max's room where he banged on the door, he was rewarded by a shout from Mad Max.

"What?!" Mad Max's voice was clearly unhappy, Archie had inadvertently disturbed his morning lie-in.

"May is gone!" Archie blurted out, he didn't want to tell Max that The Grim Reaper had taken May away than him finding out that his man was hiding the fact that The Grim Reaper was the culprit.

Archie heard Max pacing to the door and he opened the door so fast that Archie could swear that the door fell off its hinges. Max pushed Archie to the side in a rough manner before he made his way to May's room.

"He fucking knew May was here!" Max was now furious that The Grim Reaper got to May. His face was scrunched up and red in fury, he looked like that he wanted to kill someone to take some of the anger away.

"Round up the boys and meet me downstairs!" Max shouted at Archie, the young man quickly nodded before Max and Archie went their separate ways to deal with the mess that The Grim Reaper left behind.

It was now safe to say that Mad Max was now furious. He knew this was coming but not this soon. Soon afterwards, his anger consumed him and he began to throw furniture around the room. It caused a lot of racket that it was heard from downstairs.

Some of the men were wondering if they should go upstairs to check on their boss. Halliday and Archie were the only ones who knew better not to go to upstairs to Mad Max. Halliday was silent but he did not know what happened to May. He was being kept in the dark for now, Archie knew that Halliday did not appreciate being kept in the dark but it was for the best.

"I'll go up there and check on the boss." Tommy Rowe looked towards Halliday and Archie. The young fella wanted to see if his boss was okay but did not understand that Mad Max had a legendary temper and had a tendency to lash out at people who were trying to help him.

"Mate, you don't want to go up there. Trust me." Archie warned Tommy with a glare which Tommy just nodded and stood silent.

However, Hallden was anxious to why Mad Max was causing such a racket upstairs.

"Archie? Tell me what the fuck is happening with Max?"

Archie looked uneasy because it was the moment when Hallden wanted to know what the hell happened to May Hart. He remained silent.

"Archie?" Hallden was not liking how he was being given the silent treatment by Archie.

"Archie!" He got furious which Archie cleared his throat.

"The Grim Reaper took May last night." Archie blurted out under duress, he didn't want to tell Hallden that May was taken but he was pressing him.

"What?..." Hallden was stunned, he could not believe what he just heard from Archie. Fucking hell, Hallden thought to himself.

"Yeah, that's why I didn't want to tell you now." Archie said incredulously.

"Did The Grim Reaper just showed up and took May from her bed?" Halliday was suspicious to how The Grim Reaper took May Hart with such ease that it was unexplainable.

Before Archie could answer, Mad Max showed up. He looked still furious but much better than he was when Archie told him that his worst enemy had taken May.

"Men, May Hart was taken by that bastard Hancock last night. The bastard took her from her bed when she was supposed to be sleeping. God knows what he'd do to her after he got his fucking hands on her." Max said in a clipped tone, the thought of Duncan Hancock going near May Hart made him furious.

Like Max, Halliday was seething angrily on the inside. Being the quiet man he was, the man was furious and wanted to kill Duncan Hancock for getting to May. The woman was like a precious cargo for Mad Max and his men.

A much younger man entered the room with a panicked expression on his face, he had a letter in his hands.

He looked at Mad Max before he frantically gave him the letter. Mad Max clenched his jaw as he realised who the letter had come from. Fucking Duncan Hancock had sent him the letter a day after he'd taken May. Classic way of
taunting Mad Max.

The letter read in a taunting tone which Mad Max had his eyebrows knitted in a furrow.

Dear Mad Max and company,

I have your woman. She's a pretty little thing, you must be so pleased to have snagged a pretty thing. It's a real shame that your time with May Hart is now up, she is now mine. If you want to prove to me that you are not a gutless coward like you are, be at Charing Cross without your men at midnight. We will be square. I am expecting you there or your precious little thing will die. Consider my words marked, Mad Max.

The Grim Reaper

"Fucking hell!" Mad Max swore loudly. The Grim Reaper had just threatened him with the death of May Hart but Max was secretly relieved that The Grim Reaper hadn't hurt May. However, Mad Max had begun to dread what The Grim Reaper had done to May, he didn't even want to think of it.

Archie and Halliday was more concerned than they were when they found out that The Grim Reaper had taken May.

"I swear to God that I will kill that bastard with my hands if he lays his hands on May!" Halliday hissed which Archie admonished.

"It's not the time to do it, you know what The Grim Reaper is like. He loves watching people get angry over what he does to their loved ones. Don't do it." Archie said reassuringly which Halliday nodded and remained to stand next to Archie to wait what Mad Max is going to do next to get May Hart back.

Mad Max and his men were devoid of May Hart and now they were going to get her back safely without The Grim Reaper killing her.